Gun owners have a right to protect themselves in emergencies

Earlier this month, innovative legislators in the state of Oklahoma voted unanimously to advance a proposed amendment that guarantees Second Amendment protections to law abiding citizens during a state of emergency declared by a state official or agency.

Current state riot law is unclear as to how far law enforcement can go with respect to handling disasters, riots, or disorder. In fact, the Oklahoma Riot Control and Prevention Act provide for such wide latitude, that law enforcement, if they wanted to, could effectuate a military, take our guns away operation.

Oklahoma Senate Bill 1760 makes it clear that provisions in state riot law are never to be construed to “prohibit or suspend the sale, ownership, possession, transportation, carrying, transfer and storage of firearms, ammunition and ammunition accessories during a declared state of emergency.”

This proposed bill is so good it should act as a template for states across the country. The Second Amendment is not just about recreation, sport and hunting, that’s a given. What is at the core of our right to bear arms is a natural freedom to protect ourselves from a corrupt, tyrannical government.

“No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.” – Thomas Jefferson

America is a constitutional republic with a federal administration that is working to transform her into a socialist republic, whereby responsibility currently vested in the people will be shifted to the government at the unbearable cost of removing personal liberty.

As Second Amendment advocates, we must be on the offense, prepared for the unlikely or the inevitable time in which we the people are overrun by an overreaching and powerful government that, having the ability to disarm the people, can put an abrupt stop to the American way of life.

Days after Hurricane Katrina hit and devastated New Orleans, LA in 2005, police were ordered to confiscate firearms from innocent citizens because New Orleans had been declared a state of emergency. Since the Second Amendment says “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed,” this overt and threatening act is not permitted, nor should it be, ever.

Sorry, but miscreants looting is not good enough reason to give officials the leeway to violate the Second Amendment. Gun control laws always penalize the innocent citizen, never the antagonist. In reaction to the events surrounding hurricane Katrina, many states have enacted laws to stop government from having the power to disarm citizens

In 2006 President Bush signed a bill that charges states a fine for illegally confiscating guns during an emergency. And now the Oklahoma state Legislature will move this bill in the state House where it hopefully lands on the desk of Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin for signature.

In her 2011 Legislative Report, Governor Fallin asserts the following: “In Oklahoma, we’re serious about gun rights and the Second Amendment,” said Fallin. Our Founding Fathers were too. The bills we’re signing into law this year will help to expand rights and protections for law abiding citizens who own guns.” Elected officials looking out for the Second Amendment is always a plus; it appears this bill is a go for Oklahomans.

Indeed, Oklahoma hits a homerun with this amendment. But, for the rest of us living under ambiguous laws that make us vulnerable – stop daydreaming – you’re up!